BALTIMORE TRANSPORTATION
Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport(BWI)
Car Rentals: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty provide service from a centrally located parking garage that you walk to from every terminal. Exit BWI via the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, northbound to downtown Baltimore or southbound if headed to Washington.
Taxis: Diamond and Yellow cabs at the ground transportation level are plentiful. Super Shuttle (800-258-3826) is available for the 10-mile ride to downtown Baltimore for less than $20.
Penn Station, with its Neo-Greek architecture, café, shop, and a relaxing atmosphere is a great venue for travel. Located just north side of downtown at 1500 North Charles Street, the station is home to these Amtrak routes:
Amtrak Acela: DC-Baltimore-Philadelphia-NYC-New Haven-Providence-Boston
Amtrak Crescent: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Charlotte-Atlanta-New Orleans
Amtrak Palmetto/Silver: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Jacksonville-Miami
Amtrak Carolinian: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Richmond-Raleigh-Charlotte
Amtrak Cardinal: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Cincinnati-Indy-Chicago
Amtrak Vermonter: St Albans-Burlington-NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC
An MTA light rail station and MARC commuter train station also transport you downtown, the airport and regional cities from Penn Station. The city’s largest taxi stand is outside.
Mass Transit Administration (MTA) provides subway, light rail, and commuter rail service to Downtown, major employment centers and Washington. The subway line connects Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Inner Harbor, Downtown, Pennsylvania Avenue, Mondawmin Mall, Northwest Baltimore and Owings Mills. One light rail line connects Hunt Valley, North Baltimore, Downtown, South Baltimore, Cherry Hill and Glen Burnie. The other light rail line connects Penn Station, Downtown and BWI Airport.
MARC commuter trains feature two lines of local service. One extends from Camden Yards located next to Oriole Ballpark downtown to College Park (U. of Maryland) and Union Station in Washington. The other MARC train line begins in Perryville (northeast), Martin State Airport, Baltimore’s Penn Station, West Baltimore, BWI Airport, Bowie State University, New Carrollton and Union Station in DC. A shuttle bus from the MARC/Amtrak BWI Station runs every 10-15 minutes to BWI. MARC fares between Baltimore and DC cost $5.50, but the train makes lots of stops.
Baltimore Freeway Network follows a hub and spoke design where 5 freeways empty into or pass near Downtown. In general the freeways, tunnels and bridges are well maintained and HOV lanes and feature roadway greenery where possible. Tunnel tolls are reasonably priced for their distance. Driving to/from DC during commute hours is an endurance test. So at least enjoy the beautiful landscape of 295 Baltimore Washington Parkway, rather than I-95 Freeway. BEWARE: After displacing thousands of West Baltimore residents decades ago, the incomplete I-170 Freeway never connects with I-70 Freeway. Freeway and tunnel names are:
10 Arundel Freeway, south of Baltimore
29 Columbia Pike (freeway) connects Columbia to I-70
40 US Highway that preceded I-70 Freeway
70 Baltimore National Pike (freeway) to Frederick, MD
83 Interstate Freeway from Baltimore to Harrisburg, PA
95 Fort McHenry Tunnel & JFK Freeway connects to East Coast
97 Glen Burnie Bypass Freeway south of Baltimore
100 Connector freeway between 29, I-95, 295, I-97, 10 freeways
170 West Baltimore Freeway
195 Connector freeway between UMBC, I-95, 295 & BWI Airport
295 Baltimore Washington Parkway
495 Baltimore Beltway/Francis Scott Key Bridge circles the city
795 Northwest Freeway from Beltway to Owings Mills
895 Harbor Tunnel Thruway bypasses downtown
BLACK CULTURAL TRAVEL MADE EASY